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Winning Property Developer Contracts in Ireland: How to Build Developer Relationships
Written by Jack Doherty
Developer procurement is relationship-driven, not process-driven. Irish construction companies who understand who the active developers are, how to time their outreach around planning permissions, and what developers value in a contractor partner can consistently access the invited tender lists that generate private sector construction pipelines.
Active property developers in Ireland and their procurement approach
The Irish property development market is characterised by a mix of large publicly quoted developers (Cairn Homes, Glenveagh Properties), institutional investors with development arms (Kennedy Wilson, IRES REIT, LRC Group), private developers and family-backed development groups (Bartra Capital Property, Davitt Road, Marlet Property Group, Priority Construction), and numerous smaller regional developers and landowners delivering projects in the 10-100 unit residential scale or smaller commercial developments. Developer procurement differs fundamentally from public sector procurement. Where the public sector must follow the EU Procurement Directives and the Public Procurement Guidelines for procurement above EU thresholds (and best practice below), developers have full discretion over how they select their contractors and subcontractors. Invited tender (where the developer or their professional team invites a shortlist of 3-5 pre-qualified contractors or subcontractors to submit a tender price for the specific project) is the most common approach on medium and large developer projects. Negotiated contract (where the developer negotiates directly with a preferred contractor, usually a contractor with whom the developer has an existing positive relationship) is common on repeat developer-contractor relationships and on projects where the developer wants to get the contractor involved early in the design phase. Open tender (advertised without a shortlist) is the exception rather than the rule in developer procurement - used mainly by developers with less experience or on projects where they don't have existing contractor relationships in the relevant sector.
Getting onto developer approved lists
Developer approved lists are fundamentally different from public sector approved lists in their formation and management. Public sector approved lists are formal procurement tools established through PQQ competitions on eTenders, with defined criteria, evaluation processes, and legal obligations. Developer approved lists are informal commercial decisions made by the developer and their professional team based on their assessment of which contractors and subcontractors they want to work with on their projects. For a developer, getting added to their list of invited tenderers typically happens through: a direct approach from the contractor or subcontractor (email or meeting with the developer's project manager or commercial manager explaining what you do and referencing relevant completed projects); a referral from a professional in the developer's team (the project manager, QS, or architect who knows your work may recommend you to the developer); performance on an initial project (some developers use smaller or lower-risk packages to evaluate a new contractor before inviting them to tender on larger work); and reputation in the market (a consistent track record of delivering good projects for comparable developers builds word-of-mouth reputation that leads to invitation). The prequalification process for developer-invited tenders is typically less formal than the public sector PQQ - developers typically require a brief company profile, project experience schedule with photos, key personnel CVs, insurance certificates, and tax clearance. Some larger developer groups have more formalised prequalification processes, particularly for main contractor selection, where financial capability assessment (including bonding capacity and balance sheet review) is standard.
Using planning registers to identify developer opportunities
The planning register is one of the most valuable and underused commercial intelligence tools available to Irish construction companies. Every planning application made to an Irish local authority is recorded on the local authority's planning register, and the information in the planning application includes: the applicant's name and address (the developer or landowner); the nature of the proposed development (number of units, gross floor area, building type); the site address; the architect or design team named in the application; and the planning decision and any conditions attached. By monitoring the planning register for your target geographic area and target development type (residential, commercial, industrial, mixed use), you can identify: projects that have recently received planning permission and are therefore likely to move to procurement in the coming months; projects with planning applications recently submitted (which will receive a decision in 8 weeks for standard applications, indicating the likely procurement timeline); and the developers active in your area, giving you a target list for proactive outreach. The national planning database at planning.ie allows cross-authority searching and can be filtered by date, application type, and geographic area. Commercially, the most valuable intelligence from the planning register is the 'recently granted permission' list - a planning permission has been granted (removing the planning uncertainty risk), the developer is therefore likely to be actively planning their procurement approach, and contacting the developer at this point (before they have finalised their contractor list) maximises the opportunity to be included.
Common questions about winning developer contracts in Ireland
How do you approach a property developer for the first time in Ireland?
The first approach to an Irish property developer is most effective when it is targeted, informed by research, and framed around the developer's specific programme and needs rather than as a generic sales pitch. Before making contact, research the developer's current and pipeline projects through the planning registers (each local authority publishes planning decisions online, and applications for significant developments are easily findable by company name or address), through the developer's own website and press releases, and through industry publications (Construction Magazine, Irish Construction News, The Construction Index). Use this research to understand what types of projects the developer is delivering, in which geographic areas, and at what scale - so that when you make contact, you can reference their specific project pipeline. The initial contact is typically best made by email to the developer's project manager or commercial manager (not the CEO or MD for your first approach, unless the company is very small). The email should be brief, specific, and concrete: explain who you are, reference a specific project or type of project that you understand they are delivering, explain your relevant capability with a specific example of a comparable project you have completed, and ask for a brief meeting or call to explore whether there is a fit. Follow up with a phone call if you don't receive a response within two weeks. The objective of the first approach is not to get a tender invitation immediately - it is to establish that you exist and are credible. From that initial contact, the relationship typically develops over several months or longer before the first tender invitation.
What do Irish property developers look for in a subcontractor or contractor?
Irish property developers' procurement decisions are driven by a combination of commercial, programme, quality, and risk management considerations. The primary factors that developers look for when selecting contractors and subcontractors are: price certainty - developers are typically financing construction debt on their projects and have fixed development appraisals, so a contractor who can deliver at the agreed contract sum without excessive variation claims is significantly preferred over one who wins on price and then claims back margin through variations; programme certainty - development finance has time-based costs (interest on drawn debt), and delays to the programme directly increase the developer's financing costs and delay revenue from sales or letting, so contractors who demonstrate reliable programme delivery are highly valued; quality track record - for residential developers in particular, the quality of the finished product directly affects sales values and customer satisfaction, so quality of workmanship is a significant factor; minimal disputes and claims behaviour - developers share intelligence about contractors who generate excessive claims, disputes, or legal proceedings, and a reputation for combative commercial behaviour quickly reduces a contractor's access to the developer market; financial stability - developers need to know that their contractor will not go into financial difficulty during the project, so a stable balance sheet and evidence of capacity to finance the works is reviewed; and relationship quality - in the developer market more than in the public sector, the quality of the personal relationship between the contractor's site team and the developer's project manager matters enormously. A contractor who is straightforward to deal with, communicates proactively about issues, and solves problems without drama is preferred over one who may be marginally cheaper but is difficult.
How do you find out which property developers are active in your area of Ireland?
Identifying which property developers are active in your geographic area in Ireland is a research task that can be done effectively using publicly available information sources. The most useful sources are: the local authority planning register - each local authority in Ireland publishes its planning applications and decisions online (through their individual planning portals and through the national planning database at planning.ie). Searching for planning applications by type (residential development, commercial development) and by the planning authority for your target area will identify which companies have planning permissions or applications in the area. The company names in planning applications are typically the developer or landowner, though sometimes SPVs or project companies are used. Once you have identified a company name, searching for it on the Companies Registration Office (CRO) website (cro.ie) will confirm the company's registered address, directors, and filings - useful for understanding the group structure and identifying the relevant contact points. Connecting with quantity surveying firms and project managers in your area: QS firms and PM firms often act for multiple developer clients on different projects, and building a relationship with the QS firms who work in your target area gives you intelligence about which developers have active projects that need contractors and subcontractors. Industry events (SCSI dinners, CIF sector events, Ibec construction sector events) are where developer, investor, and contractor networks overlap - attending these events and introducing yourself to developers and their advisors builds profile and relationships over time.
Jack Doherty
Founder and CVO, WDI
Jack founded WDI, which builds and runs email and LinkedIn outreach for Irish B2B and construction firms.
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